Other highlights of Schloss Ambras

Outside the castle the gardens and views are worth seeing. The formal gardens are elegant and have a fairytale feel to them with a ‘Rapunzelesque’ tower. To the right of the tower there is a small cliff face with caves that were allegedly used for all kinds of wild parties, and past the tower the path crosses a high wooden bridge over a steep ravine before entering the woods.

 

Inside the castle there are two rooms that are definitely worth a look.

The castle is rightly famous for the 43 metre (141 ft) long Spanish Hall, decorated with portraits of rulers of the Tirol, ending with Ferdinand II himself.

The bathroom (360° photo). Actually it’s more like a small indoor swimming pool, and it must have seemed extraordinarily luxurious and extravagant at the time. It is 1.6m deep and lined with tin-plated copper sheets.

The water was heated with hot stones from the heating room next door, which lined the floor, so you didn’t want to stand on them! Better to sit or swim!

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